The terms "Sun Belt" and "Rust Belt" are used to informally define regions of the United States. Similar informal terms for regions of the United States could be the "Corn Belt" which consists of the Midwestern States full of corn.
The Rust Belt
The Rust Belt area is a region that consists of areas in the Midwestern and Northeastern United States. The areas are particularly defined by cities that have depleted populations and economies by 1970. Also referred to as the "Manufacturing Belt", "Factory Belt" and "Steel Belt", this area prospered in the late 19th - 20th century with the US's booming steel and iron industries. At this time the United States was focused on industrialization and globalization. These states specialized on the production of mass produced industrial products and raw materials. This area includes the states of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, West Virginia, and Illinois. By 1970 these booming economies slowed down to a halt after World War II. Factories were abandoned in the middle of US globalization and an oil crisis.
For example, in the 30 years that followed World War II (1947 - 1977) more than half of the jobs in Detroit, Michigan were cut due to their jobs being transferred overseas when companies looked for cheaper labor and resources. Many citizens of the Rust Belt moved to the Sun Belt for the changing job opportunities and the warmer climate. People were tired of harsh winters. The Sun Belt experienced growth in population and the Rust Belt saw a decline in population throughout the 20th century.
The Sun Belt
The Sun Belt consists of the warm climate states that make up the Southern third of the Continental United States. These states include California, Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, North and South Carolina, and Florida.
This area is characterized by being economically boosted by chemical, electronic, agricultural, aerospace, and oil industries, as well as weapons productions for military advancement projects.
The people who flocked to the Sun Belt included workers, immigrants, professionals, and retirees. Some came from the Rust Belt in search for new opportunities. These recently retired and slightly elderly citizens sought a haven with a lower tax rate and warm winter climate to retire in. This became a possibility with the advent of air conditioning technology. The area experienced a surge in baby boomers. African American came to the South for a lower overall cost of living and the strong existence of middle class communities, additionally the fact there were manufacturing employment opportunities.
The population center moved from Baltimore in 1790 (a generally eastern centralized population) to the midpoint of Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky in 1880 (population moving towards Midwestern states and the South), to Missouri in 1990 (population stablized to center of United States due to movement to Western and Southern States. This change from population being centralized in the Northeastern States to a balance between Northern and Southern states created differences in political power between the North and the South. More people in South = greater South political power.
The Rust Belt
The Rust Belt area is a region that consists of areas in the Midwestern and Northeastern United States. The areas are particularly defined by cities that have depleted populations and economies by 1970. Also referred to as the "Manufacturing Belt", "Factory Belt" and "Steel Belt", this area prospered in the late 19th - 20th century with the US's booming steel and iron industries. At this time the United States was focused on industrialization and globalization. These states specialized on the production of mass produced industrial products and raw materials. This area includes the states of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, West Virginia, and Illinois. By 1970 these booming economies slowed down to a halt after World War II. Factories were abandoned in the middle of US globalization and an oil crisis.For example, in the 30 years that followed World War II (1947 - 1977) more than half of the jobs in Detroit, Michigan were cut due to their jobs being transferred overseas when companies looked for cheaper labor and resources. Many citizens of the Rust Belt moved to the Sun Belt for the changing job opportunities and the warmer climate. People were tired of harsh winters. The Sun Belt experienced growth in population and the Rust Belt saw a decline in population throughout the 20th century.
The Sun Belt
The Sun Belt consists of the warm climate states that make up the Southern third of the Continental United States. These states include California, Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, North and South Carolina, and Florida.This area is characterized by being economically boosted by chemical, electronic, agricultural, aerospace, and oil industries, as well as weapons productions for military advancement projects.
The people who flocked to the Sun Belt included workers, immigrants, professionals, and retirees. Some came from the Rust Belt in search for new opportunities. These recently retired and slightly elderly citizens sought a haven with a lower tax rate and warm winter climate to retire in. This became a possibility with the advent of air conditioning technology. The area experienced a surge in baby boomers. African American came to the South for a lower overall cost of living and the strong existence of middle class communities, additionally the fact there were manufacturing employment opportunities.
The population center moved from Baltimore in 1790 (a generally eastern centralized population) to the midpoint of Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky in 1880 (population moving towards Midwestern states and the South), to Missouri in 1990 (population stablized to center of United States due to movement to Western and Southern States. This change from population being centralized in the Northeastern States to a balance between Northern and Southern states created differences in political power between the North and the South. More people in South = greater South political power.